Eagles pound Bulldogs

West Side made quick work of Quitman, pounding out 10 hits in four innings while breezing past the Bulldogs 14-2 on Tuesday at the Quitman Sports Complex.

Will Gilbert

West Side made quick work of Quitman, pounding out 10 hits in four innings while breezing past the Bulldogs 14-2 on Tuesday at the Quitman Sports Complex.

Starting pitcher Dalton Treece, who limited the Bulldogs to only three hits in three innings of work, helped his cause at the plate with a total of 5 RBI, including a three-run triple, an RBI single and a bases loaded walk.

Facing Quitman left-handed pitcher Cody Bettis, the Eagles scored one run on one hit in the top of the first inning as Blaine “Pepper” Hipp reached on an error and scored when Ben Hargrove looped an RBI single to shallow center field.

Dalton Treece pitched around a two-out walk issued to Bettis in the bottom half of the first and West Side busted the game wide open in the second, sending 11 batters to the plate while scoring eight runs on six hits.

Brandon Carr led off with a single to left field and Kory Johnson beat out a bunt single before Hayden Gilmore drilled a 2 RBI single through the hole on left side. After David Brown walked, Quitman recorded the second out of the inning on a groundout to Trevor Watts at third.

With two outs, Pepper sent a sharp grounder to Watts, who threw home to try and cut down Brown but the throw was late as West Side pushed its lead to 4-0.

The Eagles’ onslaught continued when Dalton Treece’s high fly ball was suddenly taken by a wind gust and fell into shallow right field, bringing home Pepper.

Hargrove followed with a single to right center, causing Quitman to relieve Bettis with Tyler Stovall, who was greeted with a 2 RBI single off the bat of Mason Treece.

Carr then hammered a two-run home run that sailed into the trees beyond the left field wall, scoring Mason Treece as the Eagles extended their lead to 9-0.

Jonathan Pike took the mound in relief of Stovall and escaped further damage when Johnson reached on an error, but was caught in a hot box and tagged out between first and second.

Pike beat out an infield single to start the bottom of the second but Dalton Treece retired the next two batters and Brown gunned down courtesy runner Royce Katzer attempting to steal second.

West Side added four runs on two hits in the top of the third, starting when Brown beat out an infield single. Bryce Hipp and Pepper both took one for the team, loading the bases and causing Quitman to replace Pike with Nathaniel Reynolds.

With one out, Dalton Treece roped a bases-clearing triple to deep right field, scoring Brown, Bryce Hipp and Pepper as the Eagles took a 12-0 lead.

After Hargrove walked, Mason Treece drove home twin brother Dalton Treece with an RBI sacrifice-fly to center field, where DJ McVay made the catch. Reynolds induced a pop-out to end the top half of the third.

Trailing 13-0, the Bulldogs scored two runs on two hits in the bottom of the third. Reynolds walked to lead off the frame and Hunter Thurman followed with a two-run home run launched over the wall in straightaway center.

Michael McRae ripped a single up the middle and Bettis walked with one out, but Dalton Treece got out of the bottom half when Ty Davis popped out to third, where Hargrove made the play and fired to second – completing an inning-ending double play.

West Side cleared its bench in the top of the fourth while scoring one run without a base hit. Andrew Houston, Tyler Inman and Bryce Hipp each walked with one out, setting up Dalton Treece’s RBI walk, which scored Inman.

Pitching in relief, Mason Treece took the mound in the bottom of the fourth and struck out three of four batters he faced, closing out a 14-2 victory.

Dalton Treece (2 for 3) with 5 RBI and 2 runs, Ben Hargrove (2 for 3) with an RBI and a run and Brandon Carr (2 for 3) with 2 RBI and 2 runs led West Side’s offensive attack. Brown and Pepper each scored 3 runs for the Eagles (7-0), who host South Side Bee Branch in a pivotal 1A-2 South Conference showdown on Monday.